Waterspouts possible tonight and Wednesday

CLEVELAND - Unseasonably cold air this week is going to create conditions for the development of waterspouts over Lake Erie during the next 24 hours.

The National Weather Service is advising those on the lake to be on the watch for waterspouts this afternoon west of Cleveland and tonight and Wednesday east of Cleveland.

Strong rip currents are also possible through 10 p.m. Tuesday evening. Rip Current Advisories are in effect for Cuyahoga, Lake and Ashtabula Counties where strong west to northwest winds are generating higher waves that can be dangerous for swimmers.

A waterspout is an intense columnar vortex that occurs over a body of water. They are connected to a towering cumuliform cloud or a cumulonimbus cloud. In the common form, it is a non-supercell tornado over water.

Waterspouts, or cold air funnels, can develop when unusually cold air passes above the relatively warmer waters of Lake Erie. While the lake water temperature is 69 degrees off Cleveland lakefront, the air above will be considerably colder.

While waterspouts rarely come ashore, they can be dangerous to boaters as gusty winds can slam into boats and damage or capsize them without warning. Boaters should always steer clear of waterspouts.

If you capture a waterspout on camera, please use the form below to send it to us. Please remember to take all pictures only when it's safe to do so.